Bad Company
by AdriDark
Summary: They all told him she was trouble.  But there was just something about her that drew him in.  Can Sam solve the puzzle that is Carter Rae in time to help her?  And better question: can he capture her heart?  Sam/OC Artie/OC friendship, Brittana  -Sams POV
1. Chapter 1

_I feel like our favorite big-lipped blondie hasn't gotten the lovin' he deserves so I decided to introduce a new girl to shiver his timbers._

**_Title: Bad Company_**

**_Summary: The girl in the motel room adjacent to Sam's is a frustrating enigma. He just doesn't get her. But he wants to. The more he investigates and braves the rumor mill, the more intrigued he becomes. Can he solve the puzzle that is Carter Rae in time to help her and convince the glee club to accept her? Pairings include Sam/OC, Artie/OC friendship, and Brittana. Some Finchel but it's not a real focus at any point._**

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><p>If there's one thing I've learned from living in a single motel room with my entire family, it's that privacy really is a precious commodity. That Friday night, I was relishing in one of those rare moments of alone time. My siblings were both at a friend's house for the night and my parents were on one of their "dollarless dates" at a free concert in the park. It was just me, my guitar, and the music of Mrs. Willowby's jazzercise tape coming through the wall, ever so softly. It may have not been picture perfect, but I was content.<p>

Until the walls started to shake. The room on the other side of ours obviously had a stereo cranked up to full volume. The chords of a Bad Company song drown out all other sound, making it impossible to play guitar. Annoyed, I put my guitar aside and tried to lose myself in a comic book. No dice. The blaring music made it impossible to focus on anything. Fed up, I opened the door of the motel room, and walked into the summer air.

Mrs. Willowby was already outside, staring in the direction of the noisy room. Her plump figure was bulging through her jazzercise attire - a sight I could've lived without. "Do you know what all that racket is about, Sam?"

I shook my head and frowned. So far, since we'd moved here, Mrs. Willowby had been a constant neighbor. The other room, however, had already housed three different residents. The ruckus-causer was number four. And it seemed like they might be trouble. "I don't know, Mrs. Willowby, but I'll check."

The hefty middle aged woman grabbed my arm, concern in her eyes. "Be careful."

I understood her warning. Despite the motel being called "American Family," the residents weren't always the most wholesome bunch and some were best left alone. However, I thought it was worth a shot tonight. After all, I only had a few precious hours alone before my parents returned. And I wanted them to count.

I had to knock on the door a few times before the music was finally turned off and I could hear the door being unlocked. It opened just a crack and a face framed by long red hair. It was a girl around my age. The eyes seemed to look me up and down until the door finally opened all the way. "Yeah?"

The girl was my age, though she looked a good two inches shorter than Rachel Berry. Her long red hair fell almost to her waist, her eyes were rimmed with thick black eyeliner, and she had a ring on her left eyebrow - and she most definitely had a self-assured smirk on her face. It took me a minute to remember why I'd come over here. She wasn't what I'd been expecting.

I turned to look at Mrs. Willowby but she was already back in her room.

"Hey Blondie. Gonna tell me why you knocked on my door? Or are you just going to stand there looking pretty?" She folded her arms across her chest and raised one eyebrow.

I stifled a laugh and shook my head. "Actually, I was just wondering if you could turn your music down. The walls here are paper-thin so you can hear everything going on in the next room."

"I know. Why do you think I turned my music on in the first place? Nice guitar playing but Van Halen you are not." She twisted her curly red hair through her fingers and narrowed her eyes in contempt.

I was taken aback by her attitude. Why was she being so hostile? "I'm sorry. Maybe I should start over. I'm Sam. Sam Evans. And Van Halen I'm not, for sure. I was more aiming for Keith Urban. That guy can play."

Her nose wrinkled but I could see a smile in her eyes. "Carter Rae." She ignored my attempt at a handshake and instead, cross her arms in front of her. "You have pretty shitty taste in music but you're cute so I'll forgive it."

"So you insult me and compliment me in the same breath? Aren't we the Queen of Mixed Signals." I mirrored her stance by crossing my arms as well.

She shrugged, "Something like that."

And then she slammed the door in my face.

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><p>As I walked back to my family's motel room, the music blasted from her room again. Maybe I was imagining it but it seemed like the volume had been turned down. Just slightly. I smiled.<p>

"Hey guys, do you know anything about a girl named Carter Rae?" I walked into glee club on a mission. To learn more about the enigma living next door. I figured someone in the club had to know something about her.

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a while," Quinn said, looking up from her math book.

"Seriously," Puck chimed in. "Haven't seen her since...sophomore year."

"So she did go here, then. Why doesn't she anymore?"

"Because she was a total delinquent who only caused trouble," Rachel answered. Noticing my prompting gaze, she clarified. "She was expelled."

"Yeah, and after that, no one really saw her. She just kind of fell off the map," Tina added.

"Good riddance, I say. Did you know she once filled my locker with dead frogs from the biology lab? That's right. Dead frogs. In my locker." Rachel clearly wasn't a fan of Carter.

"I heard she once hacked into the school grading system and caused an entire Econ class to repeat a grade," Tina stated matter of factly.

"I heard she had an affair with a teacher. Or two," Santana said.

"I bet you'd know a thing or two about that, Lopez," Lauren quipped.

"Bite me, Zizes."

Brittany raised her hand like she was in class. I nodded at her to let her know I was listening. "I heard she was really an alien." Everyone gave her an incredulous look.

"Well, I heard she was selling stolen TVs out of her trunk during her lunch break."

"That's nothing. I heard she was on the lam and she thought Lima would be a good place to lay low."

Before I knew it, I was overwhelmed with the glee club's "information" on Carter. The more ridiculous the claims became, the more I doubted the credibility of this gossip fest. For instance, I found it incredibly unlikely that she was a Russian spy or made a sex tape with Principal Figgins. Maybe this was a dead end, after all.

"I heard she -"

"That's enough!" We all turned to see Mr. Scheuster standing in the doorway, sheet music in hand. He walked in and threw it down on the piano. "Now, guys, I let a lot slide but this gossiping has gotten out of control. I could hear you out in the hallway! I don't know what brought this on. Carter hasn't been a student here in over a year and it seems inappropriate to be talking about her like this when she isn't here to defend herself.

The rest of the glee club looked chagrinned, and even I was shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot. After all, _I _was the one who had started the gossip by asking questions about Carter - and it hadn't even done any good.

"Alright," Mr. Scheuster clapped his hands together, as if to say that was that. "Start of a new school year guys and I have some great stuff planned. Gather round."

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><p>After glee club was over, I scooped up my backpack and headed for the door.<p>

"Hey Sam," Artie was wheeling himself over to me, a serious expression on his face. "Why were you asking about Carter Rae?" He asked in a low voice.

I looked around to make sure everyone in Glee club was distracted, gathering their stuff. A few people were looking in our direction so I waited until everyone had left the room. "Why do you ask?"

Artie looked down, a serious expression on his face and picked a loose thread from his jeans. "Well, she was my friend...kind of. I mean, for a little while. That stuff that they were saying in there wasn't true. Okay, I guess some of it was but that's not the whole story." He sighed and started over. "No one in there really knew her. I did."

I dropped my backpack to the floor and leaned against the piano. "So what do you know about her, then?"

"The stuff they were saying in there? It wasn't true. Well, I guess it kind of was. But that's not the whole story." He fumbled around in his backpack and pulled out a photograph. "This is a picture of the chess team freshman year. Front row, far right."

I took the photo from Artie and looked where he'd indicated. A mousy red head wearing a Rachel Berry-esque sweater and long skirt smiled shyly at the camera. It took me a moment to realize it was Carter. "Doesn't look much like a juvenile delinquent."

"That's because she wasn't. Her freshman year, she was on the academic decathlon team, the chess team, she even founded the Dungeons & Dragons club!"

"Dungeons & Dragons?" I said mockingly, looking up from the photograph with one eyebrow raised.

Artie ignored my interruption. "The point is, she was nice, smart, cool...and then..."

"And then?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Sophomore year rolled around and she was just...different. Started skipping class, picking fights. Just a completely different person. She was expelled right before the end of the year."

I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment, thinking. "So why'd she get expelled?"

Another shrug. "Again, I don't know. There are a lot of rumors but no one really _knows_. I just wanted you to know all this because Carter...she was a good person. And I don't think _that _changed."

I handed the photo back to him, and nodded. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it. See you around." I slapped him on the back and began to walk away.

"Sam?"

I turned around to see Artie with a vaguely sad expression on his face. "Did you meet her? Is that why you want to know?"

I hesitated but finally nodded.

Artie gave a small smile. "Tell her I say hi, okay?"

"Will do." And I walked down the hallway, already intent on my new mission - to solve the puzzle that was Carter Rae.

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><p><strong>I hope you all liked it! Should I continue? Please read and review! :)<strong>

**Don't worry. They'll be more Sam/Carter in the next chapter. Just had to set the stage.**


	2. Chapter 2

Delivering pizzas is not the ideal job. If it's not the rude callers, it's the bad tippers. And, of course, there's always that dick who decides to order a pizza five minutes before closing time. However, the job does have a few perks - namely, getting to take home any orders that weren't picked up.

So I knocked on Carter's door and prayed that she liked Hawaiian pizza.

I heard the lock slide back on the other side of the door before it opened. Just a crack, like before. Carter's red hair spilled out and she looked me up and down again with her raccoon-makeuped eyes. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "Hey neighbor. Come to borrow a cup of flour? Because I don't remember ordering a pizza."

I shrugged and looked down at the greasy box. "Yeah, but I can't eat this by myself." A lie. I totally could.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at me and then at the pizza. "It's not hippie veggie pizza is it?"

"Hawaiian."

Carter eyed the pizza hungrily but I could see that she was fighting to maintain her cool. "I guess I could have a slice or two. But only because your efforts are so pathetic, they're endearing." She started heading out into the parking lot.

"Where are you going?"

She turned her head and grinned. "What, you thought a pizza would get you an invite inside? You'll have to try harder than that. Come on. We're headed to the park."

I hesitated. "The park" was really just a rundown slide/swingset behind the motel that had been put up back when the hotel was new. Lopsided and falling apart, it was more of a gathering spot for stoners than for children. I never took Stacey there, though she'd innocently asked several times.

Carter kept walking either ignorant of my hesitation or unconcerned. Finally, I just decided to follow her.

When we got there, Carter ran up the slide (the structure swaying dangerously) and plopped down underneath the monkey bars. I held my breath and followed her via the rickety ladder. The whole structure swayed again but somehow managed to hold our weight.

I tossed the pizza between the two of us and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to catch my breath. Carter was something else. "So, why here?" I finally asked, flipping the lid of the box open and grabbing a slice. I took a bite and thanked God above for the great man that is Papa John.

She ignored my question as she slid a slice out of the box. "What's your angle, Evans?"

"What do you mean?" I eyed the container of garlic sauce but thought better of it. It wasn't that I was expecting a kiss or anything but I didn't want to knock Carter out with rank breath.

She chewed slowly and seemed to consider her words. "Well, why so enamored with the girl next door? Is this some kind of misguided fantasy of yours?" She mockingly wiggled her eyebrows and her mouth turned up at the right corner.

I picked at a piece of pineapple and thought it over. What could I possibly say that she wouldn't twist into something sarcastic or cynical? "Because you're interesting," I finally blurted out. "You're different; out of the ordinary. And I like that."

What Carter had been expecting, it hadn't been that outright honesty. She blinked and said nothing for a moment. Finally, she regained her composure and grinned. "You kind of talk like you're in a movie."

I laughed and looked down, chagrinned. "Yeah, I guess that sounded a little cheesy."

"A valiant effort nonetheless." Her eyes sparkled and I realized they were a beautiful turquoise color.

"So, does that mean I get to learn a little bit about the mysterious Carter Rae?"

Again, she seemed to think it over. She absently twirled her long red hair around her fingers - an endearing quirk. "I guess. But only if I get to learn a little about you," she challenged. "Quid pro quo, Clarice." She winked.

That got a laugh out of me. "Alright. Sam Evans. Eighteen. I go to the local high school and my favorite color is blue."

"Carter Rae. Eighteen. And my favorite color is purple." Her guard was still up but I felt like I was getting somewhere.

We talked for hours. As the pizza slowly disappeared, we discussed everything from childhood pets to favorite bands. But one thing that we never touched on was Carter's expulsion or family life. Every time we skirted either topic, she would come up with a witty remark or sarcastic joke and the conversation would change directions.

As the sky grew darker, I could tell Carter was becoming more comfortable with me. Her smiles lasted longer and if I wasn't mistaken, she had moved slightly closer to me. She seemed less guarded and untrusting. And, much to my surprise, I was becoming more relaxed with her as well.

My watch read 10:23 and Carter lit a cigarette, taking a long drag from it.

"Those things will kill you, ya know." I pointed to the cigarette and raised an eyebrow at her.

She grinned and blew the smoke up at the sky. "So will greasy pizza."

"It's not the same thing."

Carter sighed and looked at me with a look of total seriousness. "You can do everything right. Exercise, do yoga, eat an apple a day...and you wake up one morning, step outside, and get hit by a bus. We're all headed for the grave. Might as well have a little fun on your way there.

I blinked in surprise. "That's true, I guess. But kind of morbid, don't you think?"

Carter shrugged and took another drag on her cigarette before answering. "Death is part of life. Choosing not to talk about it doesn't make it any less inevitable. Like taxes." She grinned and winked in my direction.

"You do that a lot," I observed.

She flicked some ash from her cigarette and looked at me closely. "Do what?"

"Say something serious and then follow it up with some sort of joke. Like you don't want people to realize that you actually care about anything."

"Getting all psychoanalyst on me, Evans?" She raised an eyebrow, with an amused look on her face.

"Are you saying it's not true?"

She blew cigarette smoke in my face and smiled. "Does it matter what I say?"

I looked at her for a long moment, not saying a word. Finally, I broke the silence with the question I'd been dying to ask. "Why the change, Carter? From the president of the chess club to drop out. I just don't get it."

Having finished her cigarette, she dropped it and crushed it out with her foot. "So you've been asking about me."

"Maybe."

She chuckled but there wasn't much humor in it. "Then I'm sure you've gotten plenty of information."

"Rumor mill garbage. I want to known what _really _happened."

Her eyes narrowed when she looked back at me. "Maybe I'll tell you. One day." She stood up and brushed her self off. "But not tonight." And with that, she winked and went backwards down the slide.

Before I had time to think, she was already on her feet again and heading back to her motel room. I watched her as she walked away, not sure what to think. That's when I heard her singing. It was a song I'd heard on the radio before but I couldn't think of the title. All I knew was that she was incredible. And that's how I got the idea that started it all.


End file.
